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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29627223">A Child Soldier is still a Child</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreshSliceOfLemon/pseuds/FreshSliceOfLemon'>FreshSliceOfLemon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>DanPlan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Child Soldiers, Fear of Death, Gen, Growing Up, Heavy Angst, More characters will appear as the chapters go on, Suicidal Thoughts, Violence, War, but i'll shove it down to the depths of my brain, i'm still upset over the drama, inspired off of mcyt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 18:39:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,077</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29627223</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreshSliceOfLemon/pseuds/FreshSliceOfLemon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Jay Ko, an orphan trying to survive through both a famine and war, tries to survive. He meets a guy named Elias, who helps him out. It's rough, but he adapts. He learns.</p><p>____</p><p>nobody asked but ((kind of)) danplan minecraft au</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hosuh Lee &amp; Stephen Ng, Jay Ko &amp; Hosuh Lee, Jay Ko &amp; Stephen Ng, No Romantic Relationship(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Child Soldier is still a Child</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Jay was always alone, ever since he was a child. He was used to it, he told himself; used to the famine, the war, how </span>
  <em>
    <span>lonely</span>
  </em>
  <span> he was, the sick feeling of nausea in the back of his throat from lack of sustenance. From the lack of- anything beneficial, really. A nine year old boy having to defend himself from the hardships of the world, broken down and damaged, yet still fighting. Trying his best, trying to get up in the morning just to move to the next town. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’s trying.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That’s what counts, he supposed. He didn’t really know anymore, mind fuzzy and blurred from being malnourished.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>He musters up the strength to lift the gun, posture bent forward slightly because of the weight. It’s heavy, </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> heavy, but it doesn’t matter. You know, you’d think that he’d be able to carry a rifle from all of the times he has done this before. He’s hidden behind a couple of trees, camping there and shooting from afar. Hands trembling, the only sound he could hear was the bullets, almost gracefully, brushing past the trees feet away. The enemies don’t know he’s here, they don’t know that he’s a child, they don’t know a single thing about him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His legs feel weak, he doesn’t feel good. He ignores it. Go, go, go, his mind supplies, keep on going, keep on living, </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t die.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He hears the crackling of dry, crisp leaves get crushed under a boot, body moving on its own as he turns, taking aim almost immediately. It was instinct. But the person he faces looks… Off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They’re facing him, eyes wide in shock. Around 10-15 years older than him, loosely holding a gun. “...You-” Voice hoarse, they murmur, just loud enough for Jay and Jay only to hear, “You’re just a kid…” Their blue hair sways, bangs covering his face. The wind swishes them, and he’s able to see their eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They’re the enemy. They’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>the enemy</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jay doesn’t say anything, finger sliding onto the all-too-familiar trigger. He has no clue as to why their eyes swarm with something soft like fresh bread, why they drop their gun, or why they are essentially surrendering to </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He doesn’t know a thing, yet he knows everything.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why are you out here? You should be with your family- you should be making friends.” The enemy is looking at him, straight at him. Why can’t he shoot. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why can’t he fuckin’ shoot already.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “No one deserves to be here- out in the battlefield. No child deserves to go through this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It doesn’t matter anyway.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jay’s lips part, “I don’t have a family.” His voice is empty. He doesn’t remember the last time he talked. His memory hasn’t been the best lately. “I don’t have any friends.” His gun lowers, slowly, “I’m sorry.” It’s not a genuine apology. He doesn’t know why the enemy is talking to him. Monotone voice laced with emptiness, again, he says, “I’m sorry.” As if it will change a thing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It doesn’t.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“M… My name is Elias, I can help you get out of here- take my hand, please. You can trust me. I won’t hurt you. Once we’re- once you’re out, </span>
  <em>
    <span>run</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Run as far as you can.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jay considers for a moment, before reaching out and holding that man’s hand. He has nothing to lose, so what harm could that do?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Elias immediately takes off in a sprint, Jay just as fast as him. He’s afraid that if he lets go, he’ll get lost. There’s no way he could get lost, though, he’s memorized this part of the battlefield. He’s memorized the half of the enemies’ patterns, how they sleep, who leads what, et cetera. The both of them rush through trees, the whole world becoming a blur. It’s so quiet yet loud, the ringing in Jay’s ears never seems to stop. He’s so sick and tired of it that he’d rather just end it all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he feels free for once, like tomorrow will be better, that he’d have enough food, enough water- enough to be able to survive.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They reach the end of the forest, branching out into a huge clearing. If Jay squints hard enough, he could see a forest from across the clearing. Elias makes sure they aren’t being followed, “There’s a gate; barbed. I’m sure you’ll be able to get through it. On the other side, there’s no war. Everything’s free. You’ll be able to survive, kid. Just-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jay.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Elias pauses, looking at the child. “Huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jay. My name is Jay. Stop calling me ‘kid’.” Jay, although he </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>a kid, felt belittled when called that. He was much more than a child, he was a person. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Elias nods, “Just watch out once it turns night. Stay where light is, you won’t get hurt that way. I know you’ll be able to defend yourself.” He reaches into his pocket, getting out a couple of emeralds, coins, an old map, and a single photo. “Here, you need these more than me.” He drops it onto Jay’s hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jay doesn’t take the time to look through it, immediately putting it into his backpack. He was hungry. When was the last time he ate?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Elias runs a hand through Jay’s filthy hair, fluffing it up. “Take a bath as soon as you can, Jay… You’ll be okay.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was the last Jay saw of Elias. </span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>He’s eleven now, having been sleeping near some random tree that was on the outskirts of a village he had found a couple days ago. It’s quiet here, but at the same time somehow lively. The villagers that live here are kind, but they’re too nice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He “bumps” into the villagers sometimes, wearing a hooded cloak to mask his appearance. In reality, he was pickpocketing them, but they didn’t know until later. He sometimes wondered about how dense they are, or maybe it was because he was that skilled. This day, he was at the village. Running low on money, Jay bumped into someone, slipping his hand into their pocket and taking out whatever he was able to. However, this time he was too slow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The person let out a shout, “Hey! What’re you doin’?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jay’s eyes turn wide, immediately turning around and pushing through the crowd. Instincts forcing in, blood roaring through his ears, he ran the hardest he had ever ran in awhile. He thinks that once the adrenaline is gone, he’ll puke.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thank you for reading, please make sure you check out my danplan ask account here: https://instagram.com/project_j4y_x?igshid=11g5sl3ya1wm0</p><p>comments, feedback, compliments, kudos, anything is appreciated (: please do don't mention anything about the danplan drama, it will be deleted</p></blockquote></div></div>
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